Alina Popa

Bodybuilding career

Amateur

At 18, Alina entered a gym in Brăila just to keep fit and lose some weight, but immediately fell in love with bodybuilding. In 1998, she began to read bodybuilding magazines. There was one female in the gym getting ready for the National Junior Championship and she felt admiration for her and wished she had her muscles. She kept on training for the next two years until one day she entered another gym in another town, where she was a student, and the trainer there saw her potential and suggested to her she should train to compete.

In 1998, a gym owner suggested she compete in fitness. She started training to compete in fitness. However, immediately as she gained muscle, her trainer said they were too muscular for the division and that they should compete as a bodybuilder. Her role model was Lenda Murray. She competing for Romania till 2005, then in 2006 she moved to Switzerland and competed for Switzerland. In 2008, she received her IFBB pro card after winning the overall and heavyweight at the 2008 Worlds Santa Susanna. At the 2011 Ms. International, she placed 3rd and qualified for her first Ms. Olympia. At the 2011 Ms. Olympia, she placed 5th. At the 2012 Ms. International, she placed 3rd. At the 2012 Ms. Olympia, she placed 4th.

Alina decided sit out the 2013 Ms. International in order to focus on the 2013 Ms. Olympia. At the 2013 Ms. Olympia, she placed 2nd. In 2014, she began being sponsored by Supplement Giant and at the 2014 Ms. Olympia, she placed 2nd again. In 2015, due to injuries, she did not participate in the 2015 Rising Phoenix World Championships. She returned to competing in 2016 and at the 2016 Rising Phoenix World Championships, she placed 3rd. In 2018, she won her first IFBB Pro League contest, the Muscle Vodka Tampa Pro. At the 2018 Rising Phoenix World Championships, she won the Ms. Rising Phoenix title and retired from bodybuilding.

Contest history 2000 Regional Cup - 2nd (HW) 2000 IFBB National Championship - 3rd (HW) 2003 IFBB National Championship - 1st (MW) 2004 IFBB European Championship - 2nd (HW) 2005 Mixed Pairs European Championship - 2nd 2005 Women's European Championship - 5th 2006 Grand Prix Due Torri - 1st 2007 NABBA Miss Universe - 1st (Miss Physique class) 2008 IFBB Worlds Santa Susanna - 1st (Overall and HW) 2010 IFBB Ms. International - 8th 2011 IFBB Ms. International - 3rd 2011 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 5th 2012 IFBB Ms. International - 3rd 2012 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 4th 2013 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd 2014 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd 2016 WOS Rising Phoenix World Championships - 3rd 2018 IFBB Muscle Vodka Tampa Pro - 1st 2018 Rising Phoenix World Championships - 1st Deadlift - x 8 reps and she is divorced. Since November 1, 2018, Alina has been Vice President of European Operations & Athletes' Rep of Wings of Strength.